This entry won't be like the "Nerd Conversations with my Girlfriend" posts that I have written sporadically in the past. This is more of: "General stuff that happens in my life, while being a geek." It's not particularly geek-esque (actually it's not at all), but since I am a geek, it happened to me, then well.... the boot still fits. Right?
Anyway, on to the story:
I left my office at about 3 o'clock today to drive down the street to WaWa to grab some food because I hadn't eaten at lunch and I was starting to get hangry.
Walking into the store, I see a girl standing outside, looking lost and frazzled, talking to another man outside his car. They didn't appear to know each other. When I came back out again, she was still there, and he was pulling away saying "I hope everything works out for you."
She walked over to my car, still looking lost as I was backing out of the parking space and said to me:
Girl: "Hey, would you be able to give me a ride somewhere? I can pay you nine dollars."Me: "Where do you need to go?"Girl: "Um, 'Le Club' in Mount Laurel."Me: "That's only about 10 minutes from here, go ahead and get in, I'll take you there."Girl: "Really? I can pay you, all I have is nine dollars though."Me: "Don't worry about it."
So we start on our way to her destination (she informs me that it's her boyfriend's apartment) and that's when she opens the floodgates... Must be something about talking to a stranger that gives you the freedom to just lay it all out there. (Plus she said I looked very familiar to her, so maybe she had some level of security from finding me familiar? I don't believe I've ever met her in my life however.)
She started giving me her life's story... Interesting enough, we grew up in the same neighborhood, in the same town, only separated by about 8 years. (She was 26, I am now a feeble and old 34.) She explained to me that she was arrested in Camden last night (where she lives apparently) for lighting a cigarette on a train platform and had resisted said arrest. Had spent the night in jail, discovered there was an open warrant out for her from when she had shoplifted clothes when she was 18, but they had released her 'ROR' and she now had to figure out how to find an attorney before her court date in a week. I'm not completely sure how she had made it to Mount Laurel between being released from jail and when I met her, and I didn't ask.
She also blurted that she has PTSD from being abused and raped as a child, and had also gotten into a fight about a week ago that resulted in her having a miscarriage. Add that to the fact that she said that the police who had detained her last night into this morning, had broken her eye glasses, taken her phone, and all of the cash that she had in her pocketbook ($78)... so she was definitely having a rough 2016 so far.
After a night in jail.
Girl: "I'm Kristin, by the way."Me: "I'm Albie."Kristin: "Well it's nice to meet you, and thank you so much for the ride.. Dammit where are my cigarettes? Did I leave them in the parking lot at WaWa? Oh, here they are..."
We small-talked a little bit on the drive, changing the subject from her life's woes. Apparently her little sister is getting ready to move to Tennessee, very near to where I lived when I lived there in 2001. She also told me about her two daughters, and we chatted a little bit about our children. Common ground and all.
We arrived at her boyfriend's apartment, and she borrowed my phone to call him, as he wasn't home but he would apparently be there at some point, but was still trying to get free of his work responsibilities to come and assist her.
Kristin: "Thank you so much again for the ride. I think I'll be OK waiting here now."Me: "No problem at all."Kristin: "Are you sure you don't want the money?"Me: "I'm sure. I hope everything turns out alright for you."
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| Add to the list of problems: Underwear hanging out of her pants. |
Then she wiggled her way out of the car, struggling with her purse, and coat, with her slightly too snug jeans threatening to turn into a wardrobe malfunction at any moment, and I drove off.
I know I didn't solve any of her life's great problems, and honestly I didn't offer advice or suggestions. I mostly just listened to her. I didn't embark upon any grand gestures that altered the course of her life forever.... And I don't know if her story is true, or a fantastic collection of lies and exaggerations that she's made up to tell a stranger, but my gut tells me that the majority of it is likely true.
What I did do.... was give her a positive interaction, with someone who wasn't asking her for anything, not trying to take anything, material or otherwise. I felt like she needed that more than anything in that moment.
If my girlfriend, or one of my sisters was in a bind and needed help from a stranger, I hope that someone out there will do the same for them. Paying it forward into the universe right?
Although, it's possible that my "helping of random people" is going to one day end up with me getting stabbed. Honestly though? It's a risk that I believe is worth taking.
